What is saving faith? Part 8.

Practical Christianity:
What is saving faith? Part 8.

JAM 1:2-4

What is real, Biblical faith? What is Christian faith?

We are saved by grace through faith and this package is the gift of God.

First, the natural man, the unbeliever, cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God.

No one is able to believe in Christ as their Savior apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit convicts the unbeliever of his need for the Savior.

No unbeliever will turn to Christ as Savior without the help of the Holy Spirit, 2Cor 6:2.

The convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit to the unbeliever,
JOH 16:8-11

Current situation: sin

Desired situation: righteousness

Cost of no change: judgment

Obstacle: unbelief

Solution: believing in the Lord Jesus Christ

The Holy Spirit is working to bring about repentance in the heart of the unbeliever.

Repentance is a turning about or conversion.

To repent is
to turn around by changing one’s mind or heart.

Salvation repentance is a fundamental change in the hearts of men away from sin and towards God.

ISA 55:6-7

Repentance itself is also the gift of God. (ACT 5:31, 2TI 2:25)

Repentance occurs in the human heart in response to the Spirit’s activity of conviction.

ROM 2:4

2TI 2:24-26

Repentance: coming to your senses. Waking up. What the prodigal son finally did.

Repentance is turning one’s attitude away from the bad to the good.

Turning
away from sin
to God.

Repentance does not require prolonged anguish of soul, reforming one’s life, …

… or no longer sinning as a prior condition to saving faith.